The Biden administration has confirmed it does not hold the IDF to be criminally accountable for the death of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was shot dead on 11 May 2022 during a gun fight between Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price clarified during a briefing with reporters in Washington, saying, “We’ve always been very clear that we’re not looking for criminal accountability.”
The IDF investigated the circumstances surrounding Abu Akleh’s death and concluded that her death was “likely” at the hands of an IDF soldier but it was “not an intentional, targeted killing.”
According to Price the US has accepted the conclusions of this investigation and concluded its own investigation finding that the death “was the tragic result of a gunfight in the context of an Israeli raid in the West Bank.”
Price said the US is speaking to Israel about protecting civilians in the conflict, saying, “It is important that countries around the world, including Israel, do everything they can to protect civilian life. And of course, reporters, and journalists are civilians; they should never be targeted.”
“No one knows the IDF’s processes and procedures better than the IDF. And so it is not on us or any other country or entity to say precisely what the IDF or any military or security organization around the world should do,” Price said.
“It is undeniably true that Israel faces a profound threat. It is a threat that emanates not only from Hamas in Gaza, but it is a threat that emanates from terrorist groups but also lone actors, including lone actors who have recently committed horrific acts of terrorism and violence, actors who emanated from the West Bank. So there is no denying the security threat that Israel faces,” Price added.
The United States knows all to well that mistakes happen in conflict zones. It is wise for the Biden administration to not be drawn into the anti-Israel propaganda that is out there in the media and is instead dealing with the issue with a measured response.
There have been numerous journalists killed in conflict zones around the world this year, but none have received the media attention than Shireen Abu Akleh.
The anti-Israel activists and the media always shine a spotlight on Israel, which still maintains an extremely high standing in protecting civilians during conflict. Shamefully, Israel is chastised at every occasion because of the hatred there is for God’s people, while real crimes of dictators and terror groups go ignored. That’s why it’s so important we spread the truth about Israel.
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